We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nick Moran a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nick, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

My hope is that I may leave a legacy of being known for solving problems within my community that makes life better for those involved.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started my first real business in 2006. It was an underground music venue. I was playing in bands at the time and saw the need for a small scale venue in my area. I hosted several hardcore and metal shows until I was shut down by the landlord for insurance reasons. In the music scene, I was exposed to a lot of beautiful tattoos on various musicians. This grew my attraction to tattooing and I began seeking an apprenticeship. I started a tattoo apprenticeship in 2010, graduating in 2012. A family friend suggested that I open a tattoo studio in my hometown, as there weren’t many artists offering the style I was specializing in. I opened my first tattoo studio in downtown Morristown TN in late 2012. I operated that studio until I sold it in 2015. I opened my second studio in Newport, TN in 2014. This studio would grow into today’s brand, Riverside Tattoo Company. In 2016 I brought in a business partner, Daniel Tooker, and we opened another Riverside location in Cambridge, MA. In 2020, after a few years of effort, I was able to relocate Riverside Newport to be Downtown Knoxville’s first legal tattoo studio. Our Old City location is where I still practice tattooing and operate our merchandise store, Riverside Trading Company. This, to my knowledge was Knoxville’s first booth rental street shop. In 2022 I opened Local Collective, an extension of parent company Nick Moran Tattooer LLC, which mirrors the business mode of Riverside, but is not limited to tattooing.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe finding the smallest viable audience is more beneficial in todays world than trying to reach every consumer. In the age of the internet, individuals have an effortless ability to find exactly what they are looking for. Once I sharpened my style of tattooing, and my model of studio operations, those that are looking for me will find me. On the contrary, I believe trying to reach everyone often results in watering down and washing out creativity.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I feel as if being entrepreneurial requires resilience everyday. It’s a constant balancing act, within each business, within oneself, and within relationships with those around. I have experienced a couple devastating divorces, bankruptcy, miscalculations, court cases, and being a teenage father, all of which could be taken as reasons to quit, or as reasons to be resilient. I believe resilience is relative to one’s own perspective.

Contact Info:

• Website: Riversidetattoo.club
• Instagram: Nickmorantattooer
• Facebook: Facebook.com/nicholasjamesmoran
• Youtube: @Wyldflower
• Other: TikTok @wyldflower Instagram @knoxvilleartist Instagram @riversidetattootn Instagram @lavenderbugatti Instagram @localcollectiveknox